This Online Articles area (formerly our Library) gathers reflections, op-eds, and essays that engage the pressing questions of faith, justice, and public life. Here, you’ll find hundreds of thoughtful and engaging pieces from scholars, practitioners, and everyday Christians — leaders and writers who bring fresh insight and faithful imagination. These articles are meant to spark deeper discipleship, fuel courageous action, and equip the church to embody the gospel in a complex world. We invite you to explore, learn, and join the ongoing conversation toward a fuller expression of Christian faithfulness and a more just society.
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CSA’s free weekly publication, a carefully curated collection of original articles at the intersection of spiritual formation and social action.
By Ben Norquist
We are told to reach for personal resets in January. We resolve to exercise more often, cultivate better habits, pray more faithfully, and so on. This annual ritual is predicated on the idea that we have the power to become better versions of ourselves through personal effort.
By Dorcas Cheng-Tozun
“The real warriors in this world are the ones that see the details of another’s soul.”
~Shannon L. Alder
In the Indo-European cultures of old, there were generally two types of leaders: warrior kings and priestly advisers.
By Sarah Driver
“Sorry kid, life’s not fair.”May we never again say that to a child.Children have a wonderful, natural instinct toward fairness and justice–and so often we caregivers squash it with phrases like that.How we nurture their instincts shapes their ability to discern and do the work of justice.
This series on Hidden Hunger ran in June 2023. Inspired by the work and leadership of Bread for the World and ahead of the Farm Bill vote in September 2023, our hope is to raise awareness about the ways hunger shows up in different communities.
June 30 is the National Day of Prayer for LGBTQ+ Youth, when people from across faith traditions will unite to pray for the safety, well-being, and flourishing of LGBTQIA+ youth. Will you pray with us?
By Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon and Dr. Benjamin Norquist
One of the most devastating food crises in the world is mainly out-of-sight-out-of-mind for Americans. Most Americans probably could not easily find Yemen on a map, let alone know about the devastating impact of ongoing war and civil violence.
By Shane Claiborne
Originally published Nov 22, 2022
I first met Ron at Eastern Univeristy—he was at the seminary and I was fresh out of the East Tennessee Bible belt. I arrived at Eastern with a very open mind, but new to connecting my faith to the bigger social issues and questions of how to address poverty.
By Nancy Neal
“This is my body, broken for you. This is the cup of the new covenant, sealed in my blood, shed for the forgiveness of sins.”
As Christians, we say some version of these words as we gather around a table to remember Jesus’ saving death and resurrection.
By Terence Lester
Racial justice and racial reconciliation are two distinct conversations that many White Christians conflate into one. The leap straight to racial reconciliation leaves out how a White supremacist system created the oppressive structures that disadvantage many people of color today.
By Sarah String
I remember in the early days of the pandemic, when it felt like the Hunger Games just going grocery shopping and supply chain delays caused shortages and long wait times for some grocery stores items.
By Julie Golingan Roberts
Many people will fondly remember the summer of 2021 as their “hot-vaxxed summer”: COVID-19 vaccines became more widely available, and thus a semblance of freedom and fun not felt for over a year was finally within reach.
By Alex Pabellon
Originally published Jan 26, 2018
Remember that 1989 Spike Lee movie you’re supposed to like? Spike Lee plays the role of Mookie, an African American man in Brooklyn who works at a local pizza shop, proudly owned by an Italian American and his two sons.
By Nikki Toyama-Szeto
More than enough food is currently produced to cover the hunger gap around the globe. Yet hungry people exist in many communities. When people see that, they wonder if God keeps God’s promises.
By Nikki Toyama-Szeto
Who are the people who have influenced your life?
Navigating the world as both a Christian and a Japanese American, I have found it hard to find places that combine both of these important aspects of my life.
By Dorcas Cheng-Tozun
Originally posted September 25, 2018
Yes, businesses can do good…and I’m as surprised by this as you are.
When my soon-to-be-husband, Ned, told me that he was applying to business school, I was horrified.
By Chris Rice
Practicing Restorative Justice
Polarized settings tend to be dominated by an either-or mindset. It’s oppositional thinking. Either you are Right or Left, and ne’er the twain shall meet. They are too divided and opposed to coexist.
By La Thao
Thi Bui’s illustrated memoir The Best We Could Do tells the story of her family’s escape from Vietnam and the challenges of surviving as refugees in a new country. In an attempt to understand her parents better, Bui documents her family’s past and discovers the sacrifices her parents made for the sake of the family’s survival.